Where We End Up
by DisneyLover16
Summary: "So we know people change people, but what came before those changes ever occurred? Who were we before our own personal revolutions happened? And who are we afterwards? What made us want change?" Cory paused to write on the chalkboard. "I present to you—and you're gonna love this: Belgium 1831." Who are Riley, Maya, Farkle, and Lucas, really? Who were they and who are they?
1. Where Do We Begin?

**_Where We End Up_**

 ** _Chapter 1_** ** _—Where Do We Begin?_**

A/N: Hey all, new story here! If you don't know me, I typically write for Austin & Ally, but I came up with an idea for Girl Meets World and thought that I'd give it a shot. There isn't much to say, so I hope you all will like it! The chapter here is pretty short, but there will be more to come!

* * *

"A government held an unsatisfactory rule in the eyes of the people, concerning economic; political; and social institutions," Mr. Matthews began the class. "The people were unhappy with the law of the land. So they thought that something had to be done. They weren't sure of what just yet, but eventually their wish was granted. Their wish led to a revolution."

"Haven't we been through this already?" Maya interrupted with a bored expression on her face. "The U.S. fighting against the British?"

Cory grinned and nodded at this. "We have. Many countries around the world fight for what they believe through a revolution in hopes of something better to come. Even in our own nation, there have been countless fights and revolutions because of what may people think as wrong."

Lucas then raised his hand. "Well, Sir, the revolutions we have talked about all resulted in success. What happens when you don't succeed?"

"Yeah," Riley agreed. "Do things just go back to normal or does something else happen?"

Cory saw Farkle then raise his hand and called on him, "Farkle."

"There are always consequences to actions. If a revolution occurs and the people don't win, it's likely that the government will punish them, and that punishment will vary in respects to a specific time period."

"Now, that," Cory pointed out. "We'll talk about later. Right now, let's talk about what and who the people were before the revolution happened. So we know people change people, but what came before those changes ever occurred? Who were we before our own personal revolutions happened? And who are we afterwards? What made us want change?"

Cory paused to write on the chalkboard. "I present to you—and you're gonna love this: _Belgium 1831._ "

Farkle then gasped and exclaimed, "Yes!" and pumped his fist into the air. "It's finally happening, it's finally happening, it's finally happening...," he squeaked in his small victory moment.

It only took until the near end of the 8th grade, but it was definitely happening this time.

"All right, guys, so before what was to be the Belgian Revolution, the people were under rule of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands."

Riley said innocently, "Neverland? Where you never have to grow up?"

"No, Honey, the _Netherlands."_

"I'd like a place where we don't always have to grow up," Maya said. "Sounds great to me."

"What," Lucas asked. "You've never seen Peter Pan before?"

"Hmm, no, don't think so. But I bet you have, Heehaw. Watched it in black and white in the old barn under the stars?" Maya smirked at him.

Lucas thought about this before responding, "No...but thanks for the idea." Then he titled an imaginary hat at her with a "Ma'am."

"What is it going to take with you, Ranger Rick?"

He grinned at her. "Don't know. But I'll be here all week."

Maya replied and turned back forward, but not before letting out an "Ooohhh..."

"People, people, let's get on with it." Farkle stopped her, knowing that they were getting dangerously off track. "Matthews, let's go."

"Actually, Farkle—" Cory said, walking over to the board.

" _No_."

He continued, picking up with the eraser, "The idea of a Neverland..."

Farkle stood up from his desk. "Stop right _there._ "

"Actually furthers the concept of what it's like to never grow, to stay in the same place." Mr. Matthews tossed the eraser up and caught it with his hand, knowing what he could just very do.

"Put the eraser _down_." Farkle still commanded.

"Oh, come on, Farkle," Riley tried to calm him down. "Do you really think he's going to stop the lesson? This is all that's happening right now."

"Yeah, for now. We've been interrupted so many times before," Farkle said worriedly.

Despite the ongoing conversation, Mr. Matthews kept on going. "Because if such a land exists for the people under Netherland rule, how could they grow and realize that change was to be made so that they could fight for what was to be a better nation?"

At this sentence, Farkle collapsed in his seat in relief. "Oh, thank goodness."

"See," Riley said. "There is nothing at all to worry about."

"Yeah, okay." Cory put the eraser down. "So here's what I want you to do. Two days from now, I want you to come back to class with a single page describing your thoughts of what you were like as a person in the past and how you've changed into the person you are now. How has your own personal revolution—whatever that is—changed you, either for better or for worse? Talk it out with someone. You might be surprised at what you discover about yourselves."

* * *

During lunch, the foursome sat together like they always did. The cafeteria was crowded like it always was, a constant chatter between all students filling the school atmosphere.

"I have a certain feeling about this," Riley couldn't help but observe.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling lunch today either," Maya said, picking at her food a little.

"No, I mean about the homework. Who we were before and who we are now."

Lucas questioned, "Well, what do you mean? This doesn't seem that bad of an assignment."

"It's not that. It's the lesson."

"Well, frankly, I loved it," Farkle said, assuming she was talking about Belgium.

"We know you did," Riley told him. "But what I mean is, what is my father trying to teach us? It's never just about history itself. Because, we are what makes history, right?"

"He said to talk it out with each other, didn't he?" Maya said. "So we'll just talk like we always do. Okay, Riles?"

"Okay. Window, window—"

"We're still at school, Pumpkin," Maya reminded her.

Riley finished, "Right when we get home!" Then to Lucas and Farkle, "You guys want to come, too?"

"Of course," Farkle immediately said.

Lucas, on the other hand, pondered about this for a second. "Uh, I was going to hang out with Billy for a bit after school today, so maybe?"

"Sure, Lucas," Riley said. "Drop by anytime you can."

"Well, as exciting as talking about doing our homework is, which isn't even due for a couple days," Maya switched the subject. "Riley and I have to head to our next class."

"Really? You're excited for our next class? That's a first."

"Oh, not at all. The bell's about to ring in the next minute."

"Huh, well, that's...not much of a first, but I'll take it anyway."

"Well, Farkle, Ranger Rick," Maya addressed the two boys.

Riley completed, "We'll see you guys later." The two walked out of the cafeteria right after dropping off their lunch trays just as the bell rang.

"They are really something, aren't they?" Farkle said to Lucas, still admiring the two girls.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed. "I guess they really are."


	2. What Do I Do?

_**Where We End Up**_

 _ **Chapter 2—What Do I Do?**_

A/N: So I think I'm going to put a minor warning here. I know the story is already rated T, but from here on out, the story's going to...tug a little on the characters' innocence, meaning a few issues will be touched upon that may appear to be on the dark side. The story will still include the comedic and friendly type genres that the show has, but the way I'm writing this story out, it may not seem like it at times. This is a lot longer than I expected it to be, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

(Oh, and also, to address a question by BubblePop234 in the reviews, there isn't one specific ship that will be written about, it'll be more like a little bit of everything. I think in terms of ships, everyone's going to be satisfied in some way. A little Rucas here, a bit of Lucaya there, some Riarkle, some Rilaya, etc. Hope that answers your question good enough, haha.)

* * *

Just like in Riley's mind, the thought of what Mr. Matthews was trying to teach them in relation to Belgium 1831—the lesson that was somehow avoided all year—took root into Lucas's mind. _Who were we? Who are we?_ _Personal revolution?_ What did that mean exactly? What was defined as a person's own personal revolution?

Lucas tried to shake away the questions from his head. He was letting school get to his head. He needed a break before he could actually start thinking about what that all meant.

Closing the door, Lucas walked over to the baseball field outside of the school where Billy was waiting for him. Lucas glanced up at the sky, noticing that it was partly cloudy. Over in the distant west, it was sunny. Right up above, there were a few gray clouds, probably hinting at a few showers.

"What's up, Billy?" Lucas greeted his friend. From his backpack, he began to take out the baseball they always used when playing catch.

Billy looked in Lucas's direction, handing him one of the two baseball mitts in his hand. "Hey, Lucas." His tone seemed oddly didn't seem as upbeat as it usually was most days. That day wasn't one of most days, however.

"Say, I got to tell you something," Billy said, as they started to play their game of catch, throwing and catching the ball back and forth, back and forth.

"Sure," Lucas replied, catching a fast ball in his leather brown mitt. "What is it?"

"You know how my dad got that new job in Virginia?"

Lucas paused for a second before he made another throw, then saying, "Yeah? You said you'd be staying with your aunt, right?"

As Billy caught the ball, he said what Lucas feared, "I was."

Their game stopped momentarily.

"Was?" Lucas asked. "Who are you going to stay with then?"

Glimpsing down at his shoes and then back to his friend, Billy said simply, "My parents."

Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So...you're moving?"

"Yeah. I'm moving." Billy waited for an additional response from Lucas, but nothing came.

Moving? Billy was _moving?_ Didn't Billy know what it was like to move? The pain that came along with it? Everything that he was going to be missing out on in the future?

For a moment, Lucas was puzzled. "Wait, why can't you stay with your aunt? Does she not want you with her? Is that it?" There was a bitterness sensed in Lucas's voice, but he couldn't help it.

"No, no. My aunt wants to go with my parents. So, I have to, too."

Lucas walked up to him, still in disbelief. "There's nowhere else you can go? At all?"

His friend shook his head. "No."

An idea popped into Lucas's head. "Well, what if you stay with me?"

"Lucas."

"No, I'm serious! There's a guest room in my apartment and—"

" _Lucas_ ," Billy stopped him. "I'm moving. To Virginia."

It finally started to sink in. Billy, one of his closest friends that he made in New York, was moving away. He wasn't too sure how to process this information.

"Come on, man. It's not so bad."

Lucas nodded at this. "I guess."

"You like it here, don't you?"

"What? Yeah, of course I do."

"And didn't you move here from Texas, away from a life you liked?"

There was another pause. "Yeah."

"Then it won't be so bad."

"How are you so calm about this?" Lucas couldn't help but ask. Yes, he did know what it was like to move. But the reason that he did wasn't because of the fact that one of his parents got a new job. "What about our team?"

Then, Billy seemed to be the one that was baffled. "We'll always be a team, right? I'm still going to visit, you know. And don't you go back to visit Texas sometimes?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Then stop worrying! I thought you would be the one to understand most!"

Lucas said nothing. And then, "I didn't move here for good reasons." He realized that Billy wasn't around that one time part of his secret-self slipped during one of Mr. Matthew's classes. That he never told him about anything that happened that day.

"What are you talking about?"

It took him a moment, but he finally admitted, "I-I was expelled."

"What? You?" Lucas felt the guilt of previous lies he had once told to everyone, the ones where he seemed to be this _Mr. Perfect_ back in Texas and then here in New York. "Ranger Rick expelled from his old school?"

Lucas rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Hey, come on, only Maya gets to call me Ranger Rick. But, yeah, I made a mistake. I was expelled and sent to New York to live with my mom."

"And you didn't tell me any of this because...?" Billy gave Lucas a look, knowing that he evidently lied, but wasn't too sure as to why he did.

"I didn't want anyone to know. About anything. That's the truth." Inside, Lucas couldn't help but feel the guilt piling up, but was also subconsciously relieved that his friend didn't press for further details.

"And you're worried that, what? I'll get into trouble in Virginia or something?"

"No...I don't know. I guess the thought of moving just..." Lucas shook his head of the despicable memories he had there. There were some good ones thrown in there, but most of the recent ones were not worth remembering.

"That bad, huh?"

"Uh huh."

"Look, I'm gonna be okay. You'll be okay. The team's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm not even moving until the end of summer."

Steadily, Lucas decided that it was best for him to accept the fact that his friend was moving. He was still going to visit, but Lucas was going to make sure that they never truly lost touch like he did with some of his old Texan friends. "Yeah, you're right."

Billy nodded, knowing Lucas may still be a little upset at the news, but that he would also move past it as well. "Thanks. So how about we finish this game of catch?"

"Yeah, sure." Lucas backed up several feet away, and restarted their game, making the first throw to Billy.

During the rest of their game, however, Lucas still couldn't shake the old memories of his Texas life out of his head. He had told Billy the truth, but really, no one knew the whole truth.

The truth was back in Texas, he was not Lucas Friar: a hoedown loving cowboy known for pleasant manners and polite ways. He was _Luke_ Friar, a badass whose anger and temper never ceased to help him get his way.

Nearly everyone back in Texas called Lucas by his former nickname, _Luke_ ; only a select few called him Lucas. Both of his parents, Zay, and a couple of other of his best friends. Otherwise, he was known as Luke Friar.

It had just happened all so fast. Sometimes he regretted the mistakes he had made. Every time the thought of moving, the thought of Texas, anything that connected back to his old life was brought up in whatever way possible, Lucas's memories would trigger a certain shame in his stomach. At times, Lucas thought that if he could rewind the clocks to before he made that _mistake_ , then he would still be living in Texas, and he would still be enjoying every second of it.

But, he was here in the big city. And there was nothing he could ever do about it.

Even on his way to Riley's after his game of catch with Billy, he couldn't shake the memories for some reason. Up to this point in time, there was a part of him that still wasn't over what happened, and how it all went down.

He knew it was all because of that test. The history final exam at the end of 7th grade, that was. More so, he should have known to study more, to actually do the homework, to have asked for help, to have done _something_.

Lucas, or rather in this case, Luke, did do something about it. And he always scolded himself for being such an idiot for it.

* * *

"I need your help," Luke had told Zay that day before the final exam.

Zay shut his locker and the two began to walk towards their bus outside of the school. "With what?"

"A plan that'll help us both _not_ flunk history."

Luke wasn't sure what inspired him to come up with the idea for this specific plan, but at this point with both him and Zay at solid D minuses in history class, he was desperate. Luke was sure that their teacher already thought it was too late for them to improve their grades up to a B minus at the least. Extra credit was no longer an option for the year. The only way for their grades to shoot up that high in the books was to completely ace their final exam. However, judging the way they worked in the class all year, it seemed unlikely.

He would have done anything to get out of that funk. He was sure Zay would, too.

While walking out the building, Zay tripped, but not on accident. Although he immediately picked himself back up, Luke glared in the direction of the person he knew tripped Zay.

"You got a problem, Matt?" He asked the black-haired boy. Matt was one of the guys that picked on Zay every now and then for whatever reason, and while Zay assumed it as no big deal, that Lucas need not get involved, he still did so anyway. Every time he did, Zay would still try to stop him. Matt was even much taller than Luke, having hit his growth spurt before him, but that didn't stop him from sticking up for his friend.

"Nah, Lucas, come on, let's go." Zay tried to push him towards the buses waiting outside, away from Matt.

Luke bit his lip, sending daggers at Matt, along his other buddy, Adam, who were still snickering at their immature trick. He had to resist the urge to give the two a piece of his mind. It just wasn't right to him. It wasn't right that Zay was going to let Matt and Adam bully him all the time and for them to always get away with it. This had been going on for so long. Even with Lucas's occasional threats, it was no use. It wasn't fair to him, to either of them.

"Fine," Luke finally said.

As they boarded the bus, Luke began to tell Zay of the plan he had come up with, as if it was _foolproof._ He was so sure that this was the one way to help their grades in that class. If they were to fail every other class on their schedules, at least history would be the one good grade on the report card. So their entire 7th grade careers wouldn't be total failures.

When they were alone getting off at their bus stop, Zay questioned, "So, how exactly are we going to break into the school?"

"Easy. My dad has a special key that will unlock every door in the building." Luke knew that having his dad as the principal had its disadvantages, but also its advantages as well.

"And how do you plan to get his keys?"

"Well, he goes to bed at 8:30 every night. And once he's asleep, I guarantee that his keys are kept in his night drawer. I grab the keys, you meet me outside of the house, we bike to the school, get into Mrs. B's classroom, take the answer key, and get back home. Simple."

For a minute, Zay thought about it. He was hesitant, but he was desperate like Lucas, too. Then, "All right. I'm in. But, you sure you got this?"

"Absolutely."

And for the first few steps of the plan, he did. At precisely 9 o'clock, Mr. Friar turned in for the night, not bothering to disturb Lucas who was supposedly studying in his room. Just to make sure, Luke waited an additional twenty minutes just to make sure that his dad was asleep.

It was so easy to him, especially with his dad being a deep sleeper. Very carefully, Luke slid open the one drawer of his father's night stand in the dark, feeling for where the keys were in it. He never took his eyes off of his father to make sure that he didn't peek open one eye, as if he was testing his son. But he didn't. Luke snagged the keys, making sure that any tracks of his presence were erased, along with placing a dummy of himself in his bed in the case that his father checked up on him at night.

Heading out of the house with his bike, he made sure that he had everything with him in his spare backpack: his father's keys, flashlights, spare batteries, and gloves.

Earlier on, he and Zay decided to meet at the back of the school, which luckily for them, was where Mrs. B's classroom was located. So through the streets of Austin, Texas, Luke rode solo on his red bicycle, not running into a single person in the streets on his way to the school. He saw that by the time he got there that Zay was just outside the door waiting for him, and his bike ditched somewhere.

"Hey, you got the keys?" Zay asked once Luke caught up to him.

Luke nodded, "Yeah." He reached into his backpack, pulling out the keys, and specifically the one that unlocked the school doors. They made sure that they both had gloves on, and that their flashlights worked before heading inside.

In a cinch, the two made their way through the school, also making sure that they locked the doors behind them as well, knowing that they could sneak out the window in their teacher's classroom to get out. However, once getting to Mrs. B's classroom, Luke thought he heard something as he twisted the key into the lock.

 _Squeak, squeak. Squeak, squeak._

Instantly, he realized that he forgot that the janitor tended to work during the night, and that the cart of cleaning supplies he always rolled along made a _squeak_ with every turn of the four wheels.

Zay noticed his expression, whispering, "What?"

"Janitor," Luke snapped out of his trance, quickly opening up the teacher's classroom, and pulling Zay in with him, making sure to lock the door, but accidentally slamming it while doing so.

He sensed it. He sensed the janitor's immediate suspicion. Fear began to pound through his veins. The janitor was going to come in here. He was going to find them.

However, Luke wasn't going to give up just yet. Spotting the closet next to the door, he said, "Come on, in here." Again, he pushed Zay, only this time into the closet.

"Dude, no, I'm claustrophobic!"

"No time for that!" And in the closet they went. The two made sure to turn off their flashlights, and to keep as quiet as possible.

Within the matter of a minute, the door creaked open.

 _Squeak, squeak._ It was him; it was the janitor. Luke's eyes shut tight in the dark closet, his heart beating faster and faster, hoping that the janitor wouldn't look for anything suspicious in the closet they were in.

 _Squeak, squeak._ Both of the boys were so afraid of getting caught, that they held in their breath for as long as possible. The janitor's steady footsteps didn't make things any easier. For a moment, Luke and Zay thought that he stopped in front of the closet they were in, wondering whether to open it or not, but eventually resisted. They didn't know for sure, but it was the last thing he did before he finally left the classroom.

 _Squeak...squeak..._

 _Squeak... Squeak..._

The two boys didn't move a muscle even after the janitor was gone. There was always the possibility of him coming back. They waited at least ten minutes until they decided that it was safe enough for them to come out of the closet.

"All right, forget the flashlights," Luke said, stuffing his in his backpack. "Too risky."

"Man, I'm just glad to be out of that closet."

After that, the two began to rummage through the teacher's desk, looking for wherever the answer key to the test might be. Luke and Zay were careful not to drop anything that they touched, and if the key wasn't there, all the belongings were put back into place.

Luke began to grow frustrated with himself with the search; it was impossible. How could they ever find it before they had to make their way back home? It was getting late.

"Anything?" Luke asked Zay, speaking for the first time in a while.

"No, nothing," Zay said. He sighed. Then, "Wait a minute."

"What?"

"Mrs. B was a gymnast?" Zay held up an old picture in his hands, looking at it through the moonlight. "No way. I had no idea she could be that flexible."

"Dude, put that back." Though, part of Luke wanted to look at the picture, they really needed to find the key.

Finally, as Luke opened the last unsearched drawer of Mrs. B's desk, the first thing he saw made his heart jump. It was a yellow folder labeled in red: _History Final Exam._ This was it! This was what they needed!

"Zay, I found it! The key!"

"Whoa," Zay said, relishing their accomplishment.

"Okay," Luke looked at his watch, knowing that a watch would be handy for the night. "We got to get going. Like _now_. Come on. Out the window."

As Zay opened the window and let himself out, Luke made sure that everything in the classroom was in place before he left as well. The closet was closed, the desk was as if it was untouched, and the classroom door was locked.

Luke grinned to himself. This was it; they had the key and they were actually going to get away with the whole thing! And so out the window he went. As Luke made sure to close the window, he heard a shout, and then a _thud_ ; he suddenly fell to the ground.

But just like that afternoon at school, it was no accident.

Luke found himself pinned nearly face down on the grass. He ended up dropping the folder containing the answer key which was several feet away. He couldn't see who it was that had pinned him, but the moment the person started to speak, he knew.

"Well, look who fell out of the hell hole. What's a Babineaux without a Friar?"

Luke's blood boiled with anger. He growled, "What are you doing here, Matt?" Several feet away, pushed against the brick wall, was Zay. "And bringing your lousy minion, Adam, to do the dirty work for you, too?"

"What am _I_ doing here?" Matt said, not even addressing his so-called minion. "I think I'm doing myself a little justice. Keeping all that is good and well in the world in perfect place."

"You _stalked_ us here," Zay bit back.

"As if the world revolves around you and only you doesn't it?" Luke added on.

"Yeah, actually, I think it does," Matt replied ever so casually. "And in my world, there are these two unfortunately pathetic people in it. Can you guess who they are, Friar, Babineaux?" Without an answer from either Zay or Luke, he directed his attention toward the dropped folder on the ground. "And what do we have here?" He picked up the yellow folder containing the exam key, beginning to look through its contents.

"A final exam answer key, I see." Matt smirked. "Well, I could definitely make use out of this. But first..."

Matt let the folder fall out of his hands and back onto the grass, and with Luke still under his control, kicked him on the side just below his rib cage, resulting in a groan from Luke. That only made him angrier. He then picked him up by the back of his shirt, nearly tearing at the fabric and shoved him against the wall next to Zay. His lips curled into a devilish smile.

"What do you want from us, Matt?" Luke stared at him dead in the eyes.

"Oh, not much. Just a certain history exam answer key."

Luke scoffed. After all the work they had went through to get that? "No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said _no_. Are you hearing me loud and clear, Matt?"

Matt tightened the grip he had on Luke, making him wince a little. "Well, I don't think you're hearing _me_ loud and clear, Friar." He gritted his teeth. "Shall we make this easy or hard? Don't think the black wuss beside you will make a difference."

At his last words, Luke had finally had enough. He had had enough of Matt's likings and behaviors and wanted to put an end to all of it, especially when it came to Zay. Matt had pushed way too far this time.

The entire time, Zay hadn't said a word. He only watched, helpless, and continued to be.

Not able to take it anymore, Luke began to muster all the remaining strength he had. He couldn't hold the anger seething beneath his veins any longer. He couldn't help it. Taking both of Matt's wrists at his will, Luke twisted them until he knew that he was in pain from it. Luke knew that despite the height difference Matt had on him, Luke was much, much stronger.

He managed to push Matt off of him from the wall and onto the ground, leaving burning, red hand marks. Quickly, Luke attended to Adam who still had Zay up against the wall.

Matt yelled, "Get him!" But, he was a second too late as Luke punched Adam hard on the nose, causing him to let go of his friend.

Luke only said two words before continuing. _"Run, Zay."_ It was for his protection, of course. He was tired of seeing Zay get picked on by Matt and Adam. Enough was enough. He would deal with Matt himself this time.

As soon as Luke said that, Zay sprinted off, giving his friend a worried look, but knew that he should get home solely for his safety. But at the same time, he still felt guilty for leaving Lucas alone. Zay took off on his bike toward home, but not before looking back at Luke and Matt now physically fighting, along with Adam chasing after him. He pedaled as fast as he could.

Matt rose onto his feet, but was quickly knocked down again by a punch in the face and a kick in the shin from Luke. Luke's anger _exploded_ with fury.

With Matt now pinned to the ground by Luke, he said, "So what exactly do you have against Zay? Or as you like to call him, a black wuss?"

He lifted Matt up by the collar of his shirt, who of course didn't have an answer. Then, "So let me make myself loud and clear, Matt. You keep yourself and Adam away from Zay."

Matt answered simply, "You wish," and began to fight back, who shoved Luke back a few steps. Both recovered quickly.

Luke charged first throwing another punch, but this time, Matt managed to block it. Matt then aimed for Lucas's stomach and punched him hard there.

Luke stumbled back, but then grabbed Matt and pushed him against the wall and threw several jabs at him. Face, chest, stomach. Matt managed to do the same to Luke.

The two continued to fight and fight for who knew how long, neither of them backing down.

That was until finally, Luke had Matt pinned down to the ground again. Luke could clearly see the damage done to Matt's face. Black eye, bleeding tooth, plain exhaust. He said, "How clear am I now, huh?"

No answer.

"Good," Luke growled. He finally let go of Matt, proceeding to get the answer key on the ground and go home, wanting to just leave Matt where he was.

However, as he picked up the folder, he noticed a light flash upon him holding it. His eyes widened, his body frozen in place.

"Lucas!" A voice yelled.

Luke couldn't believe it. This was it. He was caught. Him and Matt both. He said to the figure with the flashlight, who was walking toward him. "Dad?"

As his dad got closer to the scene with Matt still on the ground and Luke holding the folder, he looked at the two of them, almost confused. "What the hell is going on here?"

There was no answer yet again. Instead, Luke asked, "How'd you know I was here?"

Mr. Friar looked at his son, unsure what to really think at that moment. "I didn't. The janitor called me. Said someone broke into the school. Or at least that's what he saw on the security cameras."

 _That_ was where the plan wasn't as foolproof.

"And by what I'm seeing here...," His eyes averted from his son, to the exam key, and to Matt, he said, "I'll talk to both of you first thing tomorrow morning in my office."

* * *

Luke wasn't surprised when he was expelled from school. Under the circumstances—breaking in, stealing the test, getting into a fight—there was no way around expulsion. He realized that he made a big mistake and was now being sent to New York to live with his mom. This wasn't what Mr. Friar had wanted at all; in fact, he wished that his son could have been let off with a suspension instead. But there was nothing to be done about Luke's set punishment.

He had no idea what became of Matt and Adam. But, he had told the whole truth to his father. Everything. And by saying that it was his fault for causing the entire mess, Mr. Friar decided that Zay would be let go in terms of a severe punishment.

At least Luke didn't have to take the test. Due to his additional failing grades, Luke instead had to repeat the 7th grade when he got to New York.

He was going to miss living in Austin, Texas. He was going to miss the annual Old Settler's Music Festival and he was going to miss playing baseball with his friends and he was going to miss living in the comfortable house he lived in. But maybe moving to New York was what he needed. And what Luke needed more than anything at that point was a fresh start.

Over the next few months, Luke had adjusted to living in the big city with his mom in their apartment. At first, he thought that maybe things were going to get worse. While Austin was a city of its own, it didn't compare to New York.

Luke had decided he was going to stay out of trouble in the meantime. He rarely left the apartment, mainly because he had gotten a head start on some of the material from the past year. He hadn't made many friends, but he did bond with his _mama_. That first day of the new year, he thought it wasn't going to be so bad. Maybe New York was going to be better than Texas.

On the subway, he was content, reading a book, minding his own business. At least until a girl came up to him, introducing herself immediately.

"Hi, I'm Maya!" She said. "You're really cute; we should hang out sometime." He had to admit; she was kind of cute. Fierce, straightforward, and cute. It seemed to be going well already. "You make me happy, you don't pay enough attention to me. This isn't working out; it's you, not me. But we can still be friends. Not really."

And that seemed to end just as quickly. However, he saw the blonde girl walk towards a brunette, in which she then pushed in his direction, resulting in the brunette landing on his lap.

"Hi! We were just talking about you," the girl said to him. "You used to go out with my friend, Maya."

Luke nodded in amusement at the girl's bubbly personality. To him, there was a different appeal to this girl. There was a certain innocence that she had, something he no longer owned. She was cute too in her own way. She wasn't as fierce or straightforward as the other girl, but to him, she did seem like that caring kind of person.

He introduced himself, "I'm Lucas." Luke officially decided that his old nickname was no more. He ditched it. Maybe his real name, Lucas, along with the new identity he could create for himself here in the big city would reflect better for the future.

It did.

However, his previous alias as Luke Friar and the whole secret of his life in Texas was what later nearly begin to rip the fabric of his newfound friendships. Hints of who he really was popped up now and then, but Luke thought he had to hide his old life in its entirety, otherwise losing everything he eventually gained.

He was going to be the future moral compass, Ranger Rick, Lucas Friar.

And just the thought of it all caused Lucas to realize that _that_ , what could be defined as his own personal revolution.

He began to proceed to climbing up towards Riley's bay window.


	3. How Is This Possible?

_**Where We End Up**_

 _ **Chapter 3—How Is This Possible?**_

* * *

Farkle already knew how to answer the prompt to Mr. Matthew's assignment. It was quite simple actually. The only question was when and where to split the timeline between "were" and "are".

Before heading to Riley's, Farkle decided he would drop by home for a few minutes just to drop off his backpack in his room. Then it was hopping out of his bedroom window and taking the shortcut to Riley's apartment.

He knew that no one was likely to be home. His father tended to work in his office at Minkus International, so his mother could be home, otherwise out running errands.

Farkle opened up his apartment door to discover utter silence at first. He made a way straight towards his room, thinking that he really was the only one currently home.

Then, he heard someone buzz in by the door.

Wondering who it was, he went over, pressing the buzzer's button, asking, "Who is it?"

"Farkle?" He heard a female voice say. "It's Smackle here."

Farkle had a puzzled look on his face for a second. "Smackle?" Then, "Come on up."

And a moment later, she showed up at the door.

"What brings you to my apartment, arch nemesis?" He said, stepping aside to let her in.

Smackle cleared her throat before responding. "I'm sure you know of my current enrollment at Einstein Academy, correct?"

"Of course." The two sat on the couch in the living room. "What about it?"

"It's not much, really. But it appears that after the eighth grade, my parents have decided to have me transferred to a different school for the ninth grade."

Farkle raised an eyebrow. "New school? Where are you going?"

"That's the thing. Next year, I will be attending your school. John Quincy Adams."

"Really? Why the change?" Farkle wasn't sure how Smackle could possibly change schools; it appeared that she enjoyed being at Einstein Academy.

"Well, my arch nemesis, it appears that my parents have called for certain... _socialization order_ for me." Smackle paused before continuing. "So I was wondering if you were to assist me with what my parents have called for."

The boy knew where Smackle was coming from. "Socialization order" was just an intricate way of saying, that, well, Smackle needed to get out in the world more. Make new friends, hang out with them, and more so, explore the city with those friends, too. It was the reason Farkle was kept from going to a prestigious academy, so that in the long run he had good friends—no matter the GPA or standardized test scores—by his side.

After some thinking, Farkle asked, "Didn't you have some friends at Einstein Academy? Surely, you'd miss them."

"Yes, of course. However, all we usually talk about is Civil War artifacts or the newest science fiction movie, or maybe even quantum physics if they feel passionate enough."

"Well, do you feel passionate about any of those things?"

"I do. Sometimes. But occasionally, I try to mention the fact that there is a new bakery open in town, or when I bring up a so-called catchy song on the radio they seem to shut down the thought almost every time."

"Does this happen often?" The boy questioned skeptically.

"I would say half of the time I spend with them, yes."

Farkle had felt a certain familiarity of what he was hearing from Smackle. How it felt like when he didn't quite fit in. Like he didn't belong anywhere. Like he was alone. Like he felt like _nothing_.

It reminded him of how he felt _before_ , of what he found to be called his personal revolution.

* * *

Growing up, Farkle was evidently the shining star in all of his classes. All gold stars, all satisfactory comments, all A+'s. He always had the highest grades in the class. He was so proud of himself, setting out to be just like his successful and rich father.

Nearly every day of his childhood, he would tell my mother or father another one of his daily accomplishments. Unfortunately, they usually weren't listening and instead be too invested in running their business. In the least, his father knew of his top ranking academic status, but didn't make too much of a fuss about it, or acted even surprised about it. The same went for his mother; she thought that it was evident that Farkle would inherit the kind of mind her husband had.

The only thing was that Farkle didn't know that. He thought that his achievements went unnoticed by his parents, that he was being _ignored_. He wasn't sure why that was, how it appeared that his parents didn't think much of his hard work, or how it appeared that his parents didn't think much of him at all.

Farkle then thought maybe if he became truly the best at what he did, then they would finally notice all that he had accomplished so far. Without that goal in mind, he felt like just about nothing.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure what to say in the situation with Smackle. Farkle didn't even know if she had ever felt what he did. So he said to her, "You know, you're always welcome to come by my friends and I. Riley, Maya, and Lucas. You've met them before, remember?"

"Of course," Smackle said with a smile. "I like you all very much."

Farkle grinned back. "Do you think you're going to miss Einstein Academy?"

"I will, possibly. But at least I know I have good company waiting for me."

Despite being supposed archenemies, both Farkle and Smackle had come to enjoy each other's company, while still keeping a competitive atmosphere between them. Perhaps it was going to be even more zealous the following year considering the two will likely end up in the same classes.

Smackle then stood up from the couch, and said, "I suppose I should get going. Thank you, Farkle."

"Anytime," Farkle smiled at her again.

He walked her out of the apartment, even though it was only several feet away, yet he still made the gesture anyway.

Once Smackle was gone, the eerie silence of the apartment came back. Farkle sighed. It was always like this. Always quiet. Always empty. Always lonely. At least most of the times it was.

Farkle went into his room, finally dropping off his backpack at the foot of his bed. As he decided to finally head out the window on his way to Riley's, Farkle accidentally steps on something soft. He furrowed his eyebrows, confused, and looked at where his right foot at was, realizing what he had stepped on. He nearly felt guilty about it.

Bending down, he reached for the little plush toy he had stepped on and picked it up, immediately brushing off the dirt specks on it. It was a small Pikachu plush. It was many years old, but still had that cute little smile, red cheeks, and yellow and brown lightning bolt-shaped tail.

He smiled back down at the toy.

He still remembered when he first got it, due to his former small obsession with the _Pokémon_ anime and trading card game. Something about the first line of the anime's theme song, "I want to be the very best like no one ever was," had somehow connected with him. He felt that just as the main character wanted to be a master in the _Pokémon_ world, then in his own world, Farkle could at least be known for his great academic accomplishments.

All in all, that Pikachu plush in his hands was iconic for Farkle. Especially because it still sat next to his other plush—Squeaky the Mouse—on his bed.

* * *

Farkle began to grow both physically and mentally. He was getting taller, and was proud to say so. Each centimeter he gained would then turn into in an inch, which would then become a whole foot that he had been able to grow. He was still relatively short, but nevertheless he was growing. And with all the time passing by, his intelligence expanded, his curiosity grew, and his high ranking academic status became permanent.

As great at that all was, the dull relationship he had with his parents remained the same.

He had stopped trying to tell either of them of his academic doings. It didn't really make a difference in anything.

However, sometimes at night, he would go to bed with the apartment way too quiet. And in that silence, Farkle clutched his plush Pikachu and Squeaky the Mouse with both arms, burrowing himself underneath the comforters, letting tears flow out of his eyes. He always tried to resist, but failed as his body shook with quiet sobs and his fingernails digging into the stitched fabric of his stuffed animals.

It didn't happen too often, at least not at first. The more time that passed in his childhood years, the more often Farkle tended to cry himself to sleep at night. The silence always present in the apartment killed him. It meant that he was still alone in the apartment. He didn't even know when either of his parents got home. He started to go to bed early just so he could escape the real world and into a dream one, whatever that was. What happened during the night became a mystery to him.

Every time it happened, the pillows were tainted wet with salty tears the morning after. So just in case his parents even cared enough to come into his room, he made sure to flip the pillows over before making his way to school.

Sure, there were times when his mother or father was present for breakfast or dinner, and on lucky days, both, it typically didn't feel too different. Whether his parents were around or not, it didn't make a difference of what Farkle felt. He felt like _nothing_.

And it didn't take him too long to begin to believe that he really was nothing. Not even his affection for his friends, Riley and Maya, or even his love for school could fully fill the hole in his heart.

* * *

Setting the Pikachu back next to Squeaky on his bed, Farkle looked around the room and headed out the window toward Riley's.

Above him in the sky, Farkle saw that it was partly cloudy with the sun just up ahead. It didn't seem like it was going to rain, but nevertheless he hoped that it wasn't going to anytime soon.

He started to take the shortcut over to her place, going window by window, building by building, block by block. On his way over, he heard some odd shouts from the distance, even in the mobs of New York.

Over by the local Italian restaurant, he saw a couple standing outside by the doors. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the scene was enough for him to stop and watch them. The image of the fighting couple made his stomach drop. He gulped, his stomach twisting as the woman apparently threw a breadstick from her purse at the man in front of her and walked away.

He staggered away as well, almost at Riley's, but still not being able to wipe the image from his mind. Farkle tried to shake it off, but he couldn't. It reminded him too much of his own parents.

* * *

More recently than ever, Farkle had seen the way his parents would fight whenever they were home. It wasn't a pleasant scene. Sometimes it was even at the dinner table with him. At first, he didn't handle it as well as he did currently. However, time made him get used to it.

The first time it happened, he was in his room doing his homework when he heard the apartment door slam. Initially, he was almost glad one or both of his parents were home. But then came the yelling.

"Stuart, when will you stop _obsessing_ over this woman? This Topanchi?!" He heard his mother say.

"First of all, it's Topanga!" His father said. "And second of all, I'm not obsessing over her!"

"She's married for God's sakes!"

"You don't think I know that?!"

That was typically followed by more shouts, two door slams, and a ring being thrown at Farkle's father. Whatever happened, Farkle tried his best to keep his distance, to not disturb either of his parents immediately after their fights, and kept from ever asking about them as well. At best, if he were to watch, he usually stood hidden behind a corner, seeing how his parents shouted all of this hate at each other.

In all honesty, he wasn't really sure why his parents never at least considered filing for a divorce. At least the fighting was going to stop. But they didn't. So nothing was ever resolved.

He still felt like nothing, like he lived by himself at home.

He hated that it happened, and that this was happening more and more frequently. Sometimes it got to him so much that over time, he eventually escaped out of his window and headed over to Riley's, Maya's, or Lucas's. Anywhere but his own home. He nearly never brought his friends to his apartment; he didn't want them to truly see what he was dealing with.

And then there was Billy.

In a time where he felt at absolute worst with his parents then not talking for days, actually being called nothing was like taking a bullet to the chest.

For the first time in a long time, Farkle legitimately sobbed himself to sleep, holding onto his two plush toys, rolled up into a ball under the covers. Only he didn't go to sleep. The tears kept him awake the whole night, so when he did try to fall asleep, it was already near morning. His pillows were practically soaked. And with the way he looked in the mirror, he tried to avoid school that day, sending a robot controlled by him to take his place instead.

But when he did look at himself in the mirror, he repulsively took off his turtle neck and threw it back into his closet, putting on a different shirt instead.

With the silence in the house, he knew his parents weren't home; they were already gone.

He sat by himself in the corner, trying to pull it together, but he just couldn't. All that he felt during his earlier childhood was suddenly starting to expose itself. That he really was nothing. That no matter what he did, he would still be considered nothing and only nothing.

Then he figured that he shouldn't totally skip school, just that his robot would take place in all of his classes while he stayed hidden nearby in a closet still being able to learn everything without anyone actually seeing him.

Except for Janitor Harley, of course; but he was very fond of him, so he didn't mind his presence in the janitor's closet.

Evidently, he couldn't stay in the closet forever. Riley had found him.

When she did, there was a look of worry on her face. He didn't know what to say to her, so at first he was silent. However, after a few words, Riley just pulled Farkle into a hug, wanting to do his best to comfort him.

The thing was even in that moment, he felt just a little bit better. His brain still believed that he was nothing. But his heart began to break through that thought.

And so after some of Riley's "fixing up," Farkle saw to accept that he could be nothing—though of course, he wasn't—even if the word was written on his forehead. Which it was at one point.

He accepted the way things were. Because he knew that maybe someday, everything was going to get better. That, he figured, was what would most likely become the climax to his personal revolution.

* * *

Farkle finally reached Riley's, climbing up towards her window. Farkle saw that Lucas and Maya were already there, probably exchanging playful banter like always. But when he stepped into her room, Riley wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Hey guys. Where's Riley?" He asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Maya said. "You seen her since school?"

"Uh...nope."

Maya's phone then beeped, resulting in her taking it out and reading the text message. "Huh."

"What is it?"

"She's at the library."

"Library?" Lucas questioned. "What's she doing there?"

Maya bit her lip and started heading for the window. "To be honest, I'm not really sure, Huckleberry. But let's go get her."

They all then proceeded to head towards the New York Public Library, unsure of what to exactly expect.

But the thought of initially being unsure of Riley's whereabouts worried Farkle. Because as humorous as Maya could ever be, and as great of a moral compass as Lucas was, it was Riley who always gave him comfort and always gave him a reason to look around and just be happy. Even if it was just for a little while.


End file.
